Grave Tattoo (SIGNED) [Hardcover]

Val McDermid (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: HarperCollins (2006)
• ISBN-10: 0002008238
• ISBN-13: 978-0002008235
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,291,965 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A bit of a departure, February 7, 2007

By 

Linda Pagliuco "katknit" (CT, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Grave Tattoo (Hardcover)

Val McDermid is an excellent writer, one of my favorites in the gritty mystery genre, so I did not hesitate to pick up The Grave Tattoo. This new offering is also a kind of detective story, with some truly nasty goings-on but involves more painstaking scholastic research than typical sleuthing. It reminds me of the line in "DaVinci Code" where Robert's reaction to being chased is "I need a library", one of my favorite quotes. In Tattoo, McDermid deftly combines history, forensics, suspense, literature, and danger into another compelling, atmospheric murder mystery. Both male and female characters are skillfully drawn in 3 dimensions, and the plot with its tantalizing backstory inexorably draws the reader in and won't let go. Definitely not a cosy or a romance, Tattoo should appeal to readers who enjoy a bit of intellectual exercise embedded within their entertainment.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars `Now it was her job to make him come alive all over again.', March 17, 2008

By 

J. Cameron-Smith "Expect the Unexpected" (ACT, Australia) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Grave Tattoo (Hardcover)

A bizarrely tattooed body is discovered in the UK Lake District. There are persistent rumours that Fletcher Christian secretly returned from his exile to Pitcairn Island and was harboured by William Wordsworth, a childhood friend, who turned his tale into an epic poem. Because the manuscript has remained hidden, there is no conclusive proof of its existence. Can the body be that of Fletcher Christian? Is the manuscript still extant? Who holds the key to the past? Wordsworth Scholar Jane Gresham would love to find the manuscript, as would many others and not all are as scrupulous.

Peopled with interesting characters, the research through the past in combination with some fast action in the present provides the potential ingredients for a good mystery. This book involves a number of different subplots, some of which are more satisfying than others. Overall, the total package worked well for me, and I enjoyed the read.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars search for the lost manuscript, December 30, 2006

By 

Robbie De Clercq (Gent, Belgium) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Grave Tattoo (Hardcover)

This is one of Val McDermid's best books. A great mix between history (Mutiny on the Bounty),poetry (William Wordsworth), mystery (multiple murders) and action.

Jane Gresham, a specialist in the works of William Wordworth, is intriguid when a 200-year old body is found. She is sure that this is the body of Fletcher Christian, the person who started the mutiny on the Bounty. Furthermore, she is convinced that the only reason why Fletcher returned to England was to meet William Wordsworth, a friend of his family, and to tell him the real story about the mutiny on the Bounty.

The search for the lost manuscript, which is worth a fortune, can begin.

Because this is not just a detective story, a lot of people who have never heard of Val McDermid, will probably also want to read this book. It has everything to become a bestseller. A must-read.